PRODUCTION JOINT STARS AIRCRAFT DELIVERED IN
GERMANY

By Roy Heitman
ESC Public Affairs

HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. (Jan. 13, 1997) --
The second production E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack
Radar System was delivered to Air Combat Command at
Rhein-Main AB, Germany and began flying operational missions
four days later.

"We received the second production E-8C from Northrop
Grumman on Dec. 14, I flew in it to Rhein-Main on Dec. 22 and
it made a local flight the next day," said Col. Robert
H. Latiff, the system program director. "Two days later,
the plane flew a mission in support of Operation Joint
Endeavor."

Latiff returned with the E-8C test aircraft Dec. 25,
leaving, for the first time, only production versions of the
plane flying operational missions by the 93rd Air
Expeditionary Group (Provisional).

"We received great refueling support from the 101st
Air Refueling Wing (ANG) of Bangor, Maine, both coming and
going," Latiff said. A KC-135 provided aerial refueling
en route to Germany, in addition to ground refueling and
support at Bangor International Airport when the test
aircraft was returned to Melbourne, Fla.

The third production E-8C is at Northrop Grummans
Lake Charles, La., facility being remanufactured. It will be
flown to Melbourne this summer to have the prime mission
equipment installed and is expected to be delivered to the
93rd Air Surveillance and Control Wing at Robins AFB, Ga.,
this fall.